Chamelaucium uncinatum--`Cascade Brook`

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct variety of Chamelaucium uncinatum plant, named `Cascade Brook`, particularly charaterized by having an erect plant with numerous secondary stems which gracefully weep. Larger than normal flowers occur in summer and winter, with petals in a range of appealing, light to medium purple shades, and having dark purple nectaries.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

This invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Chamelaucium uncinatum which is referred to herein as the new variety "Cascade Brook". "Cascade Brook" was bred by breeders T P Angus and N F Derera, both of 244 Singles Ridge Road, Winmalee, New South Wales, 2777, Australia.

"Cascade Brook" resulted from a controlled pollination carried out on 10 March 1988 between Chamelaucium uncinatum variety GW23 (seed parent) by Chamelaucium uncinatum variety GW8 (pollen parent). "Cascade Brook" was selected in March 1991 on the basis of flowering time, petal colour, nectary colour, flower size and plant habit. "Cascade Brook" was shown to be stable through two vegetatively propagated generations. The breeding and subsequent characterization of "Cascade Brook" were carried out at Winmalee, New South Wales, Australia.

"Cascade Brook" is most notable for its predominance of mature petal colour R.H.S. No 75A, its large flower diameter (mean greater than 18 millimeters), its biannual flowering habit (winter and summer) and its predominant mature nectary colour of R.H.S. No 187C.

"Cascade Brook" has been vegetatively propagated by means of striking plant cuttings at the above-noted location, at Winmalee, New South Wales, Australia. Examination of various "Cascade Brook" plants has confirmed that the combination of characteristics described herein are firmly fixed throughout successive generations.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

"Cascade Brook" is illustrated by the accompanying photograhic drawings:

FIG. 1: Is a photographic print in full colour showing a single potted specimen of "Cascade Brook" which was planted in approximately January 1994. The photograph was taken in June 1994 and the plant is approximately 25 centimeters high×35 centimeters wide.

FIG. 2: Is a photographic print in full colour which compares flowers "Cascade Brook" (signified "GW53"), with comparative Chamelaucium uncinatum variety "Pink" (GW24). The figure shows petal coloration from young flower to aged flower.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following is a detailed description of the "Cascade Brook" with colour designations according to the Horticultural Colour Chart issued by the British Colour Council in collaboration with The Royal Horticultural Society Copyright 1938. The observed traits have been repeatedly observed and are believed to be characteristic of "Cascade Brook" which, in combination, distinguish "Cascade Brook" as a new and distinct cultivar.

Locality: "Cascade Brook" was grown and observed at Newport Nurseries, Winmalee, New South Wales, Australia.

Propagation: By cutting.

Parentage: Controlled pollination of Chamelaucium uncinatum GW23 (seed parent) by Chamelaucium uncinatum GW8 (pollen parent).

Growth habit: Erect plant habit with cascading or weeping new growth, particularly when grown under conditions such as 25° C. to 30° C. day/15° C. to 18° C. night temperatures with high nutrition.

Shape: When grown in a glasshouse with weekly nutrient supply the plants develop a spreading semi-erect habit with new growth weeping/hanging down from the more erect firm older growth.

Size: When grown in 130 millimeter pots in a glasshouse with nutrients supplied weekly approximate dimension twelve months from rooted cutting are:

Height.--60 to 75 centimeters.

Width.--60 to 75 centimeters.

Line growth: High branching frequency on main stem and side branch. Medium to high branching frequency on side branches.

Foliage: Mature leaflets at branched node with length 40 to 55 centimeters; diameter of approximately 1 millimeter, opposite, linear, almost terete with spreading hooked apex, spreading to reflexed, and glabrous. Colour R.H.S. No 146A (yellow-green colour group).

Flowers: Flowering is biannual with flowering between December to March (summer flowering) and July to September (winter flowering). Characteristics of flowering are as follows:

Summer flowering.--Flower diameter: Mean about 18.4 millimeters. Mature petal colour: R.H.S. No 77C 84C. Mature nectary colour: R.H.S. No 183A 187 AB.

Winter flowering.--Flower diameter: Mean about 18.6 millimeters. Mature petal colour: R.H.S. No 75A. Mature nectary colour: 187C.

Flower size is large compared to other Chamelaucium uncinatum. The petal outline is notched and the petal margin is undulate. The predominate floral tube outline is conical.

In the northern hemisphere flowering results would generally be the reverse of that set out above. Summer flowering results would be observed between July to September and winter flowering results would be observed between December to March.

Comparisons of summer and winter flowering based on twenty plants are set out in Table 1.

                  TABLE 1                                                          ______________________________________                                         CHARACTERISTICS OF                                                             CHAMELAUCIUM UNCINATUM CASCADE BROOK                                                                   CASCADE                                                           CASCADE BROOK                                                                               BROOK                                                             Summer Flowering                                                                            Winter Flowering                                       ______________________________________                                         PLANT HABIT  Cascading      Cascading                                          FLOWERING TIME                                                                              December/January/                                                                             August/                                            (50% bud burst)                                                                             February       September                                          BUD COLOUR                                                                     With Operculum                                                                 Colour       Red            Red                                                RHS No       41A 42C        41A 42C                                            Without Operculum                                                              Colour       Purple         Purple                                             RHS No       77BC           77C                                                FLORAL TUBE,                                                                   MID-REGION                                                                     Colour       Green or yellow                                                                               Yellow-green or                                                 green or red-  red-purple                                                      purple                                                            RHS No       59B 143C 144A  59B 144A                                           FLOWER                                                                         DIAMETER (mm)                                                                  Mean         18.6           20.8                                               Range        17.8-19.6      19.1-22.0                                          PETAL                                                                          Outline      Obovate        Obovate                                            Immature colour                                                                Colour       Purple         Purple                                             RHS No       75C 77CD       75A                                                Colour Development                                                                          Fast           Fast                                               Mid-mature colour                                                              (% to 15 days after                                                            bud burst)                                                                     Colour       Purple or violet                                                                              Purple or violet                                   RHS no       75AB 84BC      75AC 84C                                           Petal                                                                          Mature Colour (ca 20                                                           days after bud burst)                                                          Colour       Purple or violet                                                                              Purple                                             RHS No       77C 84C        75A                                                NECTARY                                                                        Immature colour                                                                Colour       Green          Yellow-green                                       RHS No       141C 143AC     149B                                               Mature colour                                                                  Colour       Greyed-purple  Greyed-purple                                      RHS No       183A 187AB     187C                                               STAMINODIA                                                                     Outline      Narrow tri-    NT                                                              angular (NT)                                                      Mature collar colour                                                           Colour       White          White                                              RHS No       155D           155D                                               STYLE COLOUR                                                                   Immature colour                                                                Colour       Red-purple or white                                                                           White                                              RHS No       64D 70C 155D   155D                                               Mid-mature colour                                                              Colour       Red-purple or white                                                                           White                                              RHS No       64D 70C 155D   155D                                               Mature colour                                                                  Colour       White          White                                              RHS No       155D           155D                                               CALYX LOBE                                                                     Mid-mature colour                                                              Colour       Red-purple     Red-purple                                         RHS No       62D 65C 73D    65C 73D                                            Mature colour                                                                  Colour       Purple         Purple                                             RHS No       76D            76D                                                FLORAL TUBE                                                                    Outline      Conical        Conical                                            Fluting      Present        Present                                            Diameter (mm)                                                                  Mean         8.45           9.2                                                Range        7.9-9.0        8.7-9.8                                            Mid-point colour                                                               Colour       Yellow-green   Yellow-green                                                    or green                                                          RHS No       143C 144BC 145A                                                                               144C                                               FLOWER       Broad distal (BD)                                                                             BD                                                 ARRANGEMENT                                                                    FLOWER       Present        Present                                            FRAGRANCE                                                                      ______________________________________                                    

The characteristics of "Cascade Brook" were compared with the closest known Chamelaucium uncinatum variety "Pink". Observations were made during the winter of 1992 and summer of 1992/1993 from ten plants of each of "Cascade Brook" and "Pink". The plants were selected at random in June 1992 from twelve months old plants grown in a glasshouse at Winmalee, New South Wales, Australia. Results are set out in Table 2.

                  TABLE 2                                                          ______________________________________                                         DRAFT COMPARISON TABLE                                                                                    CASCADE                                                          "PINK"        BROOK                                               CHARACTER    GW24          GW53                                                ______________________________________                                         FLOWERING TIME                                                                              Medium        Early and medium                                                 July to September                                                                            January to March                                                               July to September                                   FLOWERING                                                                      DIAMETER (MM)                                                                  Mean         18.1          18.4                                                Std deviation                                                                               0.953         0.872                                               No measured  20            20                                                  PETAL COLOUR                                                                   Immature     75 with margins of                                                                           75A with margins of                                              155D          155D                                                Mature       75A with margins of                                                                          75A with margins of                                              155D          72C                                                 NECTARY                                                                        COLOUR                                                                         Immature     149B          149B                                                Mature       186B          187C                                                FLOWER       Broad distal  Broad distal                                        ARRANGEMENT                                                                    ______________________________________                                     

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct Chamelaucium uncinatum plant substantially as shown and described herein, distinguished principally from other varieties of its type by biannual flowering, petal colour, mature nectary colour and flower size. 